Duterte responsible for deaths under drug war, intl orgs should halt funding for PNP and AFP

"Duterte cannot feign ignorance nor concern in the series of events that led to the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, and other victims of his drug war. He has the obligation to put these police-murderers behind bars, but he should also account for his own responsibility in the said crime. It is easy to stack up all his pronouncements and orders which emboldened the police," said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay on the killing of Delos Santos, which, after autopsy reports, showed he was lying on the ground and defenseless when he was shot.

"The backlash is unprecedented, something that the Duterte regime and his State security forces, did not expect. This has led to petty and ridiculous counter-arguments from Duterte’s officials, and even pressured the president to hold a press conference and commit to punishing those responsible. However, Kian is just one among the more than 12, 000 killed in Duterte’s drug war. Clearly, more than three policemen need to be held into account," Palabay added.

Palabay underscored that State security forces continue these violations because of existing State policies that enable them to do so. She added that "this renders human rights offices in the military and the police useless. It won’t matter how many human rights orientation you give these rights violators, it is in the framework of their institution."

Karapatan called for international organizations and other States to put a halt on foreign funds channeled to State security forces in the Philippines, including those meant for so-called security sector reform such as providing human rights orientation and training to these "instruments of fascism who have no respect or any intent to uphold human rights." The group added that "the military and the police do not need human rights trainings which goes out the right ear after they hear it in the left; These institutions need an entire overhaul."

"This is a State policy. The drug war campaign which explicitly aims to neutralize suspected drug peddlers and users has rid individuals of their right to due process. It even has an outstanding budget for 2018 - a budget to support the license to kill accorded to the police. We demand to an end to the drug war and call for a comprehensive solution to the illicit drug trade that treats the problem in its economic and social roots," concluded Palabay.